Babbitt lined journal bearing shell



Oct. 31, 1933. F. c. w s Er L 1,932,787

BABBITT LINED JOURNAL BEARING SHELL Filed June 9, 1930 r f q ATTORNEY/S Patented Oct. 31, 1933 PATENT OFFICE I 1,932,787 BABBITT LINED JOURNAL BEARING SHELL Fred C. Jones and Richard W. Funk, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Bohn Aluminum & Brass Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Michigan Application June 9, 1930. Serial No. 460,073

3 Claims.

The invention relates to Babbitt lined journal bearings of that type in which the supporting shell is formed of a bronze alloy. In the present state of the art such bearings have been formed by first casting the shell of a bronze alloy having a relatively high percentage of copper. This has been found necessary in order to secure the requisite density, thermal conductivity and strength in the shell for properly supporting the Babbitt lining and for dissipating the heat from the friction of the journal. However, the high cost of copper renders this type of bearing expensive to manufacture.

It is the object of the present invention to reduce the cost of manufacture by substituting for the high copper alloy an alloy having a much larger percentage of other metals, such for instance as zinc. At the same time it is an object to obtain physical properties in the bearing shell which are equal or superior to those of the high copper alloy, as usually manufactured' This has been accomplished by a process of densifying the alloy prior to the forming of the shell as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic section illustrating a process of densifying the metal by extrusion to form a shell;

Figures 2, 3 and 4 show the successive steps 3 of densifying the metal by piercing and drawing;

Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a process of densifying the metal and forming the shell-by rolling and, pressing;

Figure 8 is a cross section'through a Babbitt lined integral shell; and

Figure 9 is a similar view through a Babbitt lined segmental shell.

The bronze alloy usually employed for making bronze shells has a copper content in many in- 40 stances as high as eighty-five per cent and the shell blank is usually formed by casting. In place of this high copper content alloy the present invention substitutes one having a much lower per cent of copper, preferably thoughnot necessarily sixty per cent and forty per cent of a cheaper metal, preferably zinc. Such an alloy 1 when cast will be porous and of such low density, "thermal conductivity and strength as to be un-. suitable for bearing shells.

For densifying the metal several distinct processes may be employed. Thus as illustrated in Figure 1, a billet A of the alloy is placed in an extrusion chamber B, is pierced by a member C and then extruded through a die D by the pressure of a plunger E. The resulting tube has high density, thermal conductivity and strength and may be of any desired dimensions which when out to suitable lengths will closely approximate the size of the finished shell.

In a modified process illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the pierced billet A is suitably drawn through dies E and F to form a densified tube of the desired dimensions. In Figures -5,"'6 and 7 a billet A is rolled into asheet G and the latter is then pressed in dies H and I to form a segmental shell J.

Of the several methods described, the extrusion-method is preferable in that it is less expensive to carry out and results in the highest degree of density. However, with any method which subjects the metal to suflicient pressure during its flow, the density will be greatly increased.

To complete the bearing, it is lined with babbitt as indicated at K, this being accomplished by any suitable known process. The resulting structure is one which is superior in quality to the cast Babbitt lined shell formed of high copper bronze.

What we claim as, our invention is:

1. A lined bearing shell comprising a shell element formed of extruded bronze having less than 75% copper content and of high thermal conductivity, and a thin lining of softer metal integrated with said shell to be in high thermal conductive relation thereto for the rapid .diss'ipation of heat.

2. A lined bearing shell comprising a shell element formed of extruded bronze having substantially 60% of copper and 40% of zinc and-being 0 of high thermal conductivity, and a thin soft metal lining for said shell integrated therewith to be in high thermal conductive relation thereto for the rapid dissipation of heat.

3. A lined bearing shell comprising a shell element formed of extruded bronze with a zinc content of not less than 30% by weight and being of high thermal conductivity, and a thin lining of softer metal integrated therewith to be in high thermal conductive relation thereto for the rapid dissipation of'hea FRED C. JONES.

RICHARD W. FUNK. 

